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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Neurol.
Sec. Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1479296

Relationship between objectively measured conversation time and social behavior in community-dwelling older adults

Provisionally accepted
Noriyuki KImura Noriyuki KImura *Teruaki Masuda Teruaki Masuda Takuya Ataka Takuya Ataka Etsuro Matsubara Etsuro Matsubara
  • Oita University, Oita, Japan

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Social isolation is a significant public health concern in aging societies. The association between conversation time and social behavior remains unclear. This study examines whether objective conversation time is associated with social activity frequency in older adults.Methods: This prospective cohort study enrolled 855 older adults (538 women; median age, 73 years) aged 65 and older, who were followed from 2015 to 2019. All participants wore a wristband sensor to measure conversation time for at least nine days and an average of 31.3 days per year. Social behaviors were assessed through interviews, and the frequency of engagement in community activities, outings, lessons, or classes and contact frequency were assessed using a self-report questionnaire. The association between conversation time and social behavior was evaluated using multi-linear regression analysis.Results: Conversation time was significantly associated with the frequency of engagement in community activities and lessons or classes after adjusting for several covariates (β = 0.181, 95% confidence interval: 0.107-0.254, p < 0.001; β = 0.11, 95% confidence interval: 0.04-0.179, p = 0.002).Objectively measured conversation time using a wearable sensor is associated with social behavior and may be a valuable parameter for social isolation in older adults.

    Keywords: cohort study, Community-dwelling older adults, Conversation time, Social Behavior, Wearable sensor

    Received: 11 Aug 2024; Accepted: 19 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 KImura, Masuda, Ataka and Matsubara. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Noriyuki KImura, Oita University, Oita, Japan

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.